FEAST: From plastic to protein by Yeast Engineering for Sustainable food Transition

Purpose and goal

The idea of FEAST is to genetically engineer the yeast Pichia pastoris as a versatile platform for the production of functional nutrient-dense food proteins. The ambitious goal of the FEAST project is to revolutionize global food production by engineering the yeast Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii) to produce not only functional proteins but entire categories of nutritious, sustainable foods. This process will be powered by methanol from pyrolysis of plastic waste.

Expected effects and result

If successful, the FEAST project has the potential to drastically transform the way we produce food proteins. By developing high-yield Pichia pastoris strains, we could disrupt traditional protein production, leading to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, resource use, and overall environmental impact—helping to mitigate climate change and feed the world with nutritious protein.

Planned approach and implementation

First, FEAST focused on expressing three proteins—lactoferrin, myoglobin, and brazzein—representing the dairy, meat, and sweetener sectors. These proteins will be expressed and secreted by the methylotrophic P. pastoris X-33 strain, using the inducible AOX1 promoter for high-level protein production in 2-liter bioreactors. Then we will seek funding and collaborate with RISE and Chalmers for pyrolysis and scale-up in e.g. Island cove.